The present inventions relate to communications, and particularly, relate to the provision of a calling name and/or other information relating to a wireless unit used to make a call to a called party using a wireline unit and having a calling name delivery service.
The communications service known as calling name delivery or identification is popular with customers. Calling name delivery also may be referred to as calling name presentation (CNAP). A calling name delivery service provides identification of the calling party (e.g., personal name, company name, xe2x80x9crestrictedxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cunavailablexe2x80x9d, etc.) and/or other information to the called party. In particular, a customer who subscribes to a calling name delivery service typically has a telecommunications unit or device that allows for the real-time display of a calling party name and/or other information associated with a received call. A calling name delivery service also may be referred to as an information delivery service, especially when the delivery service delivers information in addition to or other than a calling name.
The calling name delivery service generally provides calling name (and/or other information) for calls between wireline (also referred to as a landline) units. For example, assume Scott and Laura each have a wireline unit (such as a telephone) in their respective homes. Scott uses his home telephone to call Laura at home. Laura subscribes to a calling name delivery service, and thus, Scott""s name appears on the display of Laura""s home telephone when he calls Laura.
Unfortunately, the above-described process of calling name delivery is not applicable to a call from a wireless unit such as a cell phone or other mobile phone to a wireline unit. For example, assume Scott uses his car phone to call Laura at home. As noted, Laura subscribes to the calling name delivery service. But the communications system is unable to delivery Scott""s name or other information associated with the received call to Laura""s home telephone.
The principal reason the communications system is unable to delivery Scott""s name when he is using his car phone is that there is no calling name database or other source available to provide Scott""s name associated with his cell phone for display on Laura""s home telephone. In contrast, in the wireline example, a calling name database typically stores information associated with each calling line served in a region. But a wireless unit is not associated with a calling line in the physical sense that a wireline unit is associated with a calling line. Thus, information related to a wireless unit is not typically stored in a calling name database that includes information related to calling lines served in a general region. Scott""s call from his car phone results in a display on Laura""s home telephone that may read: xe2x80x9cInformation unavailablexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cout of areaxe2x80x9d.
A subscriber to a calling name delivery service generally is not pleased to repeatedly receive the xe2x80x9cinformation unavailablexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cout of areaxe2x80x9d notice on his or her display in association with a call. The subscriber may believe that he or she is not getting his or her money""s worth in terms of the fees he or she pays for the calling name delivery service. Further, a subscriber to a calling name delivery service becomes accustomed to viewing the display of calling party information and feels frustrated when such information is not forthcoming.
Unfortunately, previous attempts to incorporate wireless units in a calling name delivery service have not proved entirely successful. As noted above, calling name information associated with a wireless unit is not generally incorporated in a calling name database used to find name or other information associated with a wireline unit. A calling name database includes entries that may be indexed based on the calling line on which a call originates. A wireless unit is not associated with a calling line. Thus, the characteristics of a wireless unit do not fit the entry format in a typical calling line database serving wireline units.
A separate database for wireless units has been suggested. For example, the wireless database may be set up to include entries so as to provide calling name and/or other information associated with a wireless unit whose owner is based within a xe2x80x9chomexe2x80x9d region. But, unlike a wireline unit, a wireless unit is mobile and may operate outside its home region in a visited region. A wireless unit operating in a visited region is said to be xe2x80x9croamingxe2x80x9d. If the user of the wireless unit makes a call while roaming, the calling name delivery service may be unable to find any information about the roaming unit. The service again displays the xe2x80x9cinformation unavailablexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cout of areaxe2x80x9d notice to the subscriber.
Moreover, given the nature of wireless units, the distribution and use of wireless units is generally more dynamic than that of wireline units. A customer may have the same wireline number (also referred to as a directory number or a telephone number) for years. But the same customer or household may have more than one wireless unit. A customer may lose or have his or her wireless unit stolen. A customer may buy new wireless units and discard the old ones as technology improves. A customer may switch relatively frequently upon contract expiration or for other reasons among wireless service providers and each time garner a new or different wireless unit.
This dynamic distribution and use of wireless units makes it difficult to keep track of wireless units. For example, assume a wireless database is set up to include entries so as to provide calling name and/or other information associated with a wireless unit. Also assume the problems associated with a roaming unit in the delivery of calling name service are solved or at least minimized. Entries in the wireless database need to be routinely and repeatedly updated so as to provide correct information in the calling name delivery service. With the dynamic distribution and use of wireless units, keeping up with the many changes to the entries in a wireless database is not an insignificant task. This task is complicated by the need to keep the calling name and/or other information regarding a wireless unit in the wireless calling name database in synchronicity with the information regarding the wireless unit in a home location register (HLR) of a mobile switching center (MSC) or other wireless network element. This synchronicity may be difficult to achieve and result in discrepancies between the wireless calling name database and the HLR.
Another previous attempt to incorporate wireless units in a calling name delivery service is described in the patent to Serbetcioglu et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,111, entitled xe2x80x9cCaller Name and Identification Communication System with Caller Screening Option.xe2x80x9d Serbetcioglu et al. adds a feature server to an existing network. The network feature server intercepts an incoming call for a called subscriber and prompts the caller to either speak his or her name, or speak or punch a pin number. The called subscriber then is played the caller""s spoken name or is provided with information that is associated with the pin number entered by the caller.
There are drawbacks to the use of Serbetcioglu et al.""s feature server. A drawback is that Serbetcioglu et al requires that another element (the feature server) be added to the telecommunications network. In addition, in Serbetcioglu et al., calls must be routed for interception by the feature server. Thus, Serbetcioglu et al. requires re-routing of current patterns. Yet another drawback is that Serbetcioglu et al. generally does not provide information for all callers for display such as generally provided by calling name delivery services. Only those callers who have been previously entered by the called subscriber into the feature server may have their names displayed. Other xe2x80x9cunknownxe2x80x9d callers are requested to speak their names, and the caller""s spoken name is delivered to the called subscriber. The delivery of a spoken name generally requires the called subscriber to listen on his or her handset or otherwise get more involved with the call than by simply glancing at the display unit for the name of the calling party.
Accordingly, there is a need for methods and systems that provide a calling party name and/or other information corresponding to a wireless unit where the wireless unit used to make a call to the wireline unit of a subscriber having a calling name delivery service.
Generally stated, the present inventions relate to methods and systems for providing for calling party name and/or other information associated with a wireless unit to be delivered to a wireline unit as part of a calling name delivery service. To implement such service, the methods and systems provide for calling party name and/or other information associated with a wireless unit to be associated with the mobile identity number (MIN) and/or mobile directory number (MDN) of the wireless unit in a location register (LR) such as the home location register (HLR) in a network element of a wireless network. The network element is configured to accept and support the TR-1188, wireless intelligent network (WIN), or the like messaging processes.
Advantageously, the calling party name and/or other information for a particular wireless unit may be provisioned into or updated at the same time the MIN and/or MDN of the wireless unit is set up or updated in the LR. Another advantage is that a separate calling name database for wireless units is not required and the problems associated with such a separate calling name database are obviated.
When a calling party uses a wireless unit to make a call to a wireline unit of a subscriber having calling name delivery service, the call is routed in a conventional manner to the service switching point (SSP) serving the calling line of the wireline unit. Based on the called party""s status as a subscriber, the SSP uses the appropriate messaging process in a query/response exchange to obtain the calling party name and/or other information from the appropriate network element that includes the calling party name (and/or other information) in or has access to an appropriate location register. The SSP then delivers the calling party name (and/or other information) over the calling line for display on the called party""s wireline unit or other display device. Advantageously, the subscriber to calling name delivery service who is using a wireline unit is provided with the service with respect to wireless units as well as wireline units.
More specifically stated, the present inventions relate to an exemplary method to provide a wireline unit with information corresponding to a wireless unit when the wireless unit makes a call to the wireline unit. This method may be implemented in an environment of a communications system including a wireless network and a wireline network. The wireless network includes a network element functionally connected to the wireline network. The network element also is functionally connected to a location register (LR) with the LR including at least an entry corresponding to a wireless unit. The entry includes a mobile identification number (MIN) and/or a mobile directory number (MDN) of the wireless unit. The wireline network includes a service switching point (SSP) serving a wireline unit. Pursuant to this exemplary method, the MIN and/or the MDN in the entry in the LR are associated with information corresponding to the wireless unit.
When the wireless unit calls the wireline unit, the SSP serving the wireline unit notes that the wireline unit is to be provided with calling name delivery service. The SSP initiates a query/response exchange with a network element in the wireless network so as to obtain information, such as the calling party name, regarding the wireless unit. In particular, the SSP routes a query to the network element in the wireless network based on the MIN and/or MDN of the wireless unit. The query is routed through the communications system until it arrives at the appropriate network element.
In response to receipt of the query by the network element, the network element uses the MIN and/or the MDN with the LR to find the entry in the LR including the MIN and/or the MDN. Based on the information associated with the MIN and/or MDN in the entry, the LR retrieves the information corresponding to the wireless unit and provides the information to the network element. The network element then provides the information in a response routed through the communications system to the SSP. Upon receipt of the response, the SSP provides the information to the wireline unit. Upon receipt of the information, the wireline unit may display the information to the called party. Advantageously, the called party may be provided with the calling party name of the person using the wireless unit to call the called party.
The present inventions also provide an exemplary LR for use in a network element of a wireless network. The LR typically includes a plurality of entries with each entry including a MIN and/or MDN corresponding respectively to a wireless unit. Each MIN and/or MDN of an entry is associated with information, such as calling party name information, corresponding respectively to the wireless unit. The information is retrievable based on the MIN and/or MDN of the wireless unit for provision in response to a query for the information received by the network element of the wireless network. Advantageously, the LR allows for information corresponding to a wireless unit to be retrieved from the LR through use of an entry having the MIN and/or the MDN in common with the wireless unit.
In the exemplary LR, the information associated with the MIN and/or MDN of an entry may include a name, and a presentation indicator associated with a name. Further, the information may include a calling name subsystem number or a calling name translation type.
Further, the present inventions relate to an exemplary method for an LR of a network element in a wireless network to provide information associated with a wireless unit. Pursuant to this method, the LR is provisioned to include a plurality of entries with each entry including a MIN and/or MDN and corresponding respectively to a wireless unit. Each MIN and/or MDN of an entry is associated with information corresponding respectively to the wireless unit.
The LR may receive a query for information related to a wireless unit. For example, the query may seek the calling party name associated with the wireless unit. In response to receipt of a query including the MIN and/or the MDN, the LR uses the MIN and/or the MDN to find an entry having the MIN and/or the MDN in common with the query. The LR may check whether the information associated with the MIN and/or the MDN includes a presentation allowance or other such indicator. Based on the information being associated with the MIN and/or the MDN of the entry, the LR retrieves the information corresponding to the wireless unit. The LR then provides the information in a response to the query. In an exemplary embodiment, prior to providing the information, the LR may check that a presentation indicator including a presentation allowance is present in the information. In some cases, the information may include a presentation indicator that includes a presentation restriction. If a presentation restriction is included in the information, the LR may provide a response to the query, but the response may include notice of the presentation restriction and fail to include the information sought by the query.
Therefore, it is an object of the present inventions to provide methods and systems that provide a calling party name and/or other information to a wireline unit where the wireless unit used to make a call to the wireline unit of a subscriber having a calling name delivery service.